Quite sorry, you're correct, the calls for assassination were from a chap in Canada, and the congressmen were calling for an espionage charge, which is a crime that carries the death penalty as far as I know.
Source: Wiki
EDIT: And the death penalty would likely be sought by that interpretation.
Do you think three-letter agencies are now actively trying to shape public opinion of themselves and their doings by astroturfing popular tech blogs? I recall seeing a document not too long about how the FBI could basically "destroy" a public forum by trolling, insulting, making fun of certain ideas certain principles certain people. In the recent months I've been seeing this on Reddit, -- views that before couldn't be found before about acceptance of surveillance at the cost of liberty, about the goods of laissez-faire capitalistic systems -- you didn't see this much on Reddit before. I'm not sure what to make of it, if it's just new users with different views or if there is some concerted effort by political, or possibly governmental entities to shape things in their favor.
That probably sounds unreasonably conspiratorial, but nevertheless consider how effective such a taking would be. Once the public at large is on their side, it's a done deal.
Anyway, the great thing about HN is we wouldn't fall prey to such troll tactics. It's good that unsubstantiated attacks, ad hominems, etc. are usually downvoted.
Do you think three-letter agencies are now actively trying to shape public opinion of themselves and their doings by astroturfing popular tech blogs?
I strongly suspect that they do. I think there have even been some published articles about various govt. agencies developing (or looking to develop) technology for this kind of manipulation. I don't have a citation handy, but if I can scare up one of the articles I think I'm remembering, I'll post it.
Edit: Here you go, they they definitely have the technology, but - as you might expect - they claim it isn't used on Americans. But in light of everything else we've learned the past few weeks, would anybody be surprised to find out that they are, indeed, using this on Americans?
Your question can be restated in a much simpler form as "Do you think propaganda efforts have shifted from newspapers, radio and television to include social media outlets?"
And I would answer, do you think if you were in charge of such things you'd be suitably doing your job if you hadn't?
I've seen the same on the guardian comment threads. There are so many new accounts posting single comments in support of gchq that regulars have started to notice it.
What's strange is the comments often claim indifference and yet have registered especially just to post once about their apathy at this news of widespread surveillance :)
"..about the goods of laissez-faire capitalistic systems" Im pretty certain any government agency wanting to self preserve would NOT want laissez-faire.
Effective at what? Getting computer programmers to going back on topic? That would be awesome. Why would the NSA care who's getting karma points on Hacker News?
I can't tell if you're a bad troll, if you're trying to be deliberately obtuse for whatever reason, or are just plain misinformed. But I'll humour you anyway.
Keith Alexander, the NSA chief head himself, came to the last Defcon (IN BLACK JEANS AND A HIP T-SHIRT, NO LESS) trying to recruit hackers [1]. Shaping the opinions of hackers as to whether they support/work for the surveillance state.
My personal description of his words wouldn't be inaccuracy, but being hackneyed.